gravity
by Cora Clavia
Summary: Another planet, another ancient myth.


Today's planet was a soft, balmy world, bright with vivid purple and blue flowers that smelled like cinnamon.

The locals seemed friendly, waving at them from across the fields as children ran around playing what looks like a more complicated version of freeze tag. SG-1's presence didn't bother them; there were other settlements within this area, so it was possible they just looked like local travelers.

Imminent danger didn't seem likely at the moment, so Sam unbuckled her helmet, pulling it off and running a hand through her tousled hair.

A little boy running past her froze as he looked up and she smiled at him. The little boy gaped at her, his eyes wide, and before she could ask what he was staring at, he yelled to the other children.

"The Sun! The Sun!"

She turned around, bemused, as a crowd of little dark-haired children swarmed around her, transfixed. She held her weapon safely away from them, glancing back at the team. "Uh - Daniel - ?"

Daniel shrugged. "Well, everyone here seems to have darker hair. Maybe they've never seen someone like you before."

"Or maybe they've heard that blondes really do have more fun," Jack suggested.

She smiled at that. Sam was the only one who indulged him, Daniel noticed. Jack's jokes were terrible.

"That's probably it, sir."

She smiled patiently as the kids reached eagerly to try and touch her fair hair; she'd gotten used to kids approaching her, Daniel knew. Kids instinctively felt more comfortable with a woman, and it wasn't the first time she'd been approached by little ones on a new planet.

But when Jack pulled his cap off, the children's excitement immediately turned to fear.

Someone shrieked "The _Moon_!" and before he could react, the kids all ran, screaming in their haste to get away.

Jack looked around, tense, but the adult villagers were chuckling quietly, no worry to be seen. No danger, at least for the moment.

"Daniel?"

Daniel grumbled under his breath. Why did Jack always assume Daniel knew what was going on?

"I have no idea."

* * *

"Forgive the children," Elder Minas said later as everyone enjoyed steaming, spicy cider around a crackling fire. "They hear all the old stories, and it has been many, many years since we have seen anyone with such bright hair. Even I have not seen gold or silver hair in many, many years."

Sam was smiling into her mug of cider, and even Daniel couldn't help but grin a little at the glare Jack shot him. _Silver._ That was a new one.

"If I may ask -" Daniel hesitated - "they didn't seem like they were afraid of her. Was it Jack? Is it - grey hair?"

"In a manner of speaking." The elder stared thoughtfully into the fire for a moment. "There is a very old story, one all the children know. Many, many years ago - so the story goes - the sun and moon fell in love. Moon chased sun, sun chased moon, but both moved as one.

"So moon and sun spend all eternity trying to catch each other, longing to be together, but they must never succeed. The children thought they were seeing the sun and moon together. That is what frightened them."

"Why not?" Sam's voice was soft.

"Because moon and sun hold up the universe around them," the elder said gently. "All the stars depend on their strength to stay aloft. And so moon and sun must forever love each other from opposite sides of the sky. For if they catch each other, the world will end."

Daniel had a hundred things to ask - was this story related to Sol and Mani? - were there connections with Skoll and Fenrir? - or maybe it could refer to some past cataclysm? - but then he happened to glance over at Sam.

She looked _sad._

He was about to ask if something was wrong, but then he realized.

She was looking at Jack. And he was looking at her.

It only lasted a second, but it was pure, honest longing, clear and bright as the blazing fire.

It was so quick, just a breath, and then Elder Minas mentioned something else, someone laughed, and the moment was gone. Jack coughed, Sam looked away, and it seemed no one except Daniel had seen it.

But the shadow on her face was unmistakeable, and even Jack, with his usual mask of discipline, couldn't hide it completely, staring at the ground as he scuffed a boot in the dirt.

* * *

Though Daniel would usually spend an evening like this plying the townsfolk with questions about their mythology to see if he could place them in connection with an Earth-based culture, maybe get a sense of where history and myth intersected, for the rest of the night, he found himself loath to talk.

* * *

On the hike back to the Stargate the next morning, Daniel finally found himself walking with Jack; Sam was taking point, with Teal'C following behind everyone.

"Hey, Jack."

"What?"

Jack didn't break stride, and Daniel had to hustle so as not to fall behind. Damn, the Air Force trained people to walk quickly. "Uh - about that story back there, the one Elder Minas told us -"

"What about it?"

Jack's face was blank, but Daniel got the distinct feeling it was more through great effort than actual apathy.

"If -" Daniel had no idea how to say this - "if you and Sam -"

"Daniel."

"- I mean, not that I'm saying you and Sam are -"

" _Daniel._ " Jack's voice was clear and quiet and bare of everything but the truth. "Don't."

He walked ahead with longer strides, leaving Daniel to shift his pack and try to catch up.

* * *

After missions, the men of SG-1 had a tacit agreement to let Sam use the locker room first. They stood around chatting idly, waiting for her to exit before taking their turn.

Sam walked out, and Daniel followed Teal'C in, looking forward to a hot shower and the chance to finish his work.

But he noticed Jack wasn't behind them. He was still paused back in the doorway, talking to Sam, and Daniel couldn't resist the sharp tug of curiosity; he ducked behind the wall as he heard the two of them talking quietly.

"Some story that guy told us, wasn't it, Major?"

"Yes, sir."

Their voices were soft, just barely audible over the ever-present sounds of water running and locker doors creaking. Daniel leaned back towards them, straining his ears to listen.

"You think the sun and moon will ever - you know." Jack shrugged. "Do their thing?"

"Scientifically, sir, the only way the sun and moon could collide would be for the moon to drastically change orbit, so that it falls within the gravitational pull of the sun."

"Gravity's a powerful force."

"Yes, sir." Daniel could just barely see a hint of smile from Sam. She always seemed amused when Jack attempted to understand science.

Jack cleared his throat. "It's connection, right? Gravity pulls things together."

There was a long, still moment before Sam replied.

"It's inescapable, sir." Her voice got softer. "Gravity doesn't fade."

He couldn't see much more than the back of Jack's head, and half of Sam's face, but Daniel knew, with crystal clarity, that they weren't talking about science.

"So - maybe the sun and moon might - find their time?" Jack sounded like he was going for casual, but Daniel knew that voice. Too focused. Too intense. This mattered. "Maybe someday?"

"It's all in the timing, sir. When the time is right -"

"- the world won't end?"

Jack's voice was wry, and there was a long moment of silence. Even from here, Daniel could see the blush on Sam's face.

"Exactly."

Daniel took a soft step backwards and turned, heading towards his locker.

He wasn't stupid. He'd seen the little hint of something between them. Sam and Jack had always had their way of talking. Daniel never really thought it was flirting. It just...looked like it. And sounded like it. And felt like it.

But the truth behind lay here, behind the carefully starched uniforms and shining pins and pristine epaulets.

And if all they could have was a quiet conversation where they talked around reality, he certainly wasn't going to get in the way.


End file.
